The National tribune., 1887-06-30


the survivors Of Andersonville-ths war was
over and we were going home.
Nothing unusual occurred until we reached
Memphis although had suffered much from
fear of the boys crowding TO one side OF the
boat and capsiZing her. One instance In par
ticular: while at Helena photographers was
taking" the boat, aud each soldier seemed TO
be bent on having bis face discernible in the
picture. / entreated aud exhorted prudence,
while sat on the roof. my feet pendant and
my hands on a float, momentarily expecting a
cGpSizing and sinking
Each night the cabin was filed with q row OF
doGbe-deck cots. ! had been fortunate in
securing one of these, but on the night previous
10 reaching Memphis | suddenly conceived and
executed the purpose OF making a stranger,
whose name i never knew-our Commis-
sary Sergeant in parole camp-occupy my cot
while
SPENT THE NIGHT IN CHAIR
The boat lay at the Memphis wharf dis
charging freight, and the cots were being
placed, when my friend Of tho night before
came TO me and asked if had cot. i pointed
10 my hat, placed on ono 10 hold it. lie said
that one WAS in a hot. unpleasant and danger
GUS place over the boilers, aud that be had re-
served one for me in the ladies' cabin; that
had my way the night before, and he must
have his way now.
Give il to some poor fellow who had mono
last night" i said; but moment afterward he
came and told me he had removed my hat 10
the cot selected by him. and that / would have
TO take that or none. Soon retired to the cot,
read until weary. fell asleep, was partly aroused
by the boat leaving the wharf a little after
midnight, but Teiapsed into sweet sluuiber.
dreaming OF the loved ones IT home-a mother
less daughter. q noble, Christian mother, two
devoted sisters, and my brothers. How reveied
in the joy OF the reunion.
A report as OF the discharge ofa park of ar
tillery, shock as Of a railroad collision, and
am sitting bolt upright, straining my eyes and
stretching my arms out into the Egyptian
darkness; face, throat and lungs burning as if
immersed in a boiling cauldrou. Crash, crash
fall the chimneys on the roof oh, that could
shake of this horrible nightmare! But now
from all around rise shIieks. cries, prayers and
groans Have / awakened in the dark regions
OF the lostr Ispring to my feet, hastily dress,
start forward, cropping my way between the
state-room doors and the cots, to learn what has
happened.
Suddenly / find yawning opening in the
floor. pause in doubt and uncertainty for a
second. when the scene lights up from below,
disclosing picture
THAT BEGGARs ALL DESCRIPTION
mangled, scalded human forms heaped and
piled amid the burning debris on the lower
deck. The cabin, roof and texas are cut in
twain; the broken planks on either side OF the
break projecting downward. meeting the raging
flames aud lifting them to the upper decks.
Women aud little children in their night
clothes. brave men who have stood undaunted
on many battlefield all contribute to the
confusion and horror of the scene as they sud-
denly see the impending death by fire. and
wringing their hands, tossing their arms
wildly in the air, with cries most heartrend-
ing. they rush pell-mell over the gssrd into
the dark, cod waters of the river; while the
"old soldier" is hastily providing for himself
anything that will fioat-tables, doors, cots
n-planks-anything. everything What
worse than Babel Of confusion Of sights
aud sounds as each seeks his own safety, re-
gardless of others Where is the cot of my se-
lection n few hours previous. and whero its
occupant? Ask of that holocaust below. There
is a Divinity that shapes Our ends"
Captain, will you please help me?"
/ turned in the direction of the voice. so
polite, so cool and calm amid this confusion
There, on the head of the last cot on this side
the breach. which was covered with pieces OF the
wreck, sat man. bruised, cut, scalded in
various places. both ankles broken and bones
protruding. With his suspenders he had impro-
vised tourniquets for both legs, to prevent
bleeding TO death.
81 am pOwerlcss to help you; can't swim, -
/ replied. But he answered. Throw me in the
river is all / ask, else 1 shall burn to death
here"
called Capt. Coleman. of Lafayette. whom
/ never saw afterward, and we bore McLoyd
aft and
THREW HIM OVERHEARD.
I then got hold of q life-preserver for myself
inst rs a frightened maiden in nightgOwn only
rushed past me. seized her as she was leapinE
from the guard, and called the chambermaid
who put my life-preserver On the girl. then had
NO chance for escape, Is thought, and death
seemed inevitable.
worked and toiled to my very utmost tc
assist others. until all was done that l could do
Then the thought occurred TO me that it wa,
my duty To make an effort to save myself.
saw two Kentuckians meet. each lamentinl
that he could not swim. Then let us die to
gethcr." said one. We'll" replied the other
| aud. embraced in each others arms, they leaped
sank. and the muddy waters closed over them
! saw others. blinded by the explosion, Leaf
into the fire and die.
now cast about me for something I coulC
use rs n buoy. but everything available seemed
| 10 have been appropriated. | tried TO impro
wise iife-preserver out Of a stool. / threw
mattress overheard; IL Coated aud was at ORct
| caught on tO by several who We're struggling il
| the water. j got another mattress aud slipping
down a fender onto the tatfTail 1 dropped il
| but il no sooner touched the water than fou
men seized il, turned it over and it went unde
as / jumped. Down, down l went into tn,
chilly waters. Some poor drowning wretcl
was clutching at my legs, but putting my hand
| down TO release myself, and vigorously treadinj
| wafer. i rose strangling to the surface m,
| scalded throat ana lungs burning with pain
| The mattress was within reach, with ouly on
claimant God only knows what had becOm
| of the three others. Placing my arms on tn
| support 1 began a life-and-death struggle &
/ escape from the falling wheel house which
barely succeeded in doing but its waves stran
| gled me aud came near sweeping my eOmpan
ion of. There seemed to he
| ACRES OF STRUGGLING HUMANITY
on the waters, some OH debris Of the wreck
| some on the dead caTcasses of horses, some hold
ing TO swimming live horses, some on boxes
| bales of hay, drift logs, etc Soon we parte.
| company with the wreck and the crowd AM
drifted ont into the darkness almost alone.
A bOat-the Gen. BOynton-passed neal
whistled and hove TO- but finding her efforts a
rescue futile, she steamed away aud gave tn
alarm AT Memphis, aud the gunb0ats All
steamers there sent out lifeboats and yawls {
pick up those floating by from seven mile
above. Having foatod nearly five miles W
struck a small drift that seemed stationary. an
that correctly thought was on the OverllOwe
Arkansas shore. crawled upon large float
ing tree. Chilled aud benumbed, could nc
sit up. l had ihree)arge doses of quinine i
my pocket took them all at once, and by yil
orous rubbing soon was able to stand and wall
Meantime my companion WAS helpless, an
could not get onto my drilt held the mattree
10 the drift, aud with a keen switch struc
the man-who by the way, WAS dressed in bu